Inaugural National Tsunami Ready Board Meeting Held at DMC

The Defence Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd), graced the inaugural meeting of the National Tsunami Ready Board (NTRB) held at the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) in Colombo on 14 September.

The meeting marked an important step towards strengthening Sri Lanka's coastal disaster preparedness and resilience through the implementation of the UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme.

During the meeting, the Board adopted its Terms of Reference, approved operational guidelines for Tsunami Ready Local Committees at Divisional and Grama Niladhari levels, and endorsed 12 nationally contextualised UNESCO-IOC performance indicators covering assessment, preparedness and response.

The Board also approved the pilot implementation of the Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme in Manatkadu Grama Niladhari Division in Jaffna District and Wenamulla Grama Niladhari Division in Galle District.

The NTRB, comprising 15 members representing multiple sectors, will provide a coordinated national framework for implementing the programme in line with Sri Lanka's National Disaster Management Plan 2023-2030.

The Director General of the DMC and Secretary of the NTRB, Major General Sampath Kotuwegoda (Retd), the Commander of the Navy, the Commander of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Army, and representatives of relevant government institutions, universities, the private sector and other stakeholder organisations attended the meeting.